An MLS move has been named as a potential step for Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata. The Spaniard would be the ideal character for a club to target.
Major League Soccer has increasingly turned to and now away from European stars to build the elite ends of their teams. The near-retired star who has played at a far higher level throughout their career but drops into MLS has been a staple of the league throughout its 25-year history. Some of the greatest players in league history are of this ilk.
But as the league has expanded and developed, growing in commercial success and quality of play, the efficacy of these older players has depreciated. Some are still extremely impactful, of course. David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney are some of the leading players in recent years, for instance. But there is a much greater propensity for error and teams have started to turn towards other markets.
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Nevertheless, there is still some merit in turning to Europe to find the high-level stars that are not present in CONCACAF or South American football. Someone who has dominated the Premier League will always be a higher-calibre player than those found in Liga MX.
The key determining factor in a European star’s success in MLS is not their footballing aptitude, — everyone knows that they are capable of dominating North American football — but instead their application and commitment. Teams should be scouting stars’ character as much as their quality.
Take those that have floundered in MLS. Rafael Marquez, Steven Gerrard, Rooney’s second season in D.C. What separates them to Villa or Robbie Keane or even Carlos Vela and Bradley Wright-Phillips is attitude, not ability.
All this brings me to Juan Mata. The Manchester United midfielder will turn 32 this summer and is slowly being phased out at Old Trafford as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to get younger during the rebuild of his squad. Mata does not fit.
And when considering the future of many Manchester United players, ESPN’s Mark Ogden said that MLS is a potential landing spot for the Spanish international:
"“I think Mata is a player that would try new experiences. So I don’t think the MLS would be something you could rule out with Juan Mata. I think he’d probably embrace the idea.”"
Mata is the ideal type of European star for MLS teams to target. He is not too old that his legs have completely gone. He is renowned for his high character, his charity work, his leadership in the dressing room, and his commitment to the team. His game does not revolve around physical traits that will decline in his later years. He has never been the fastest. He instead uses his supreme vision, technical skill, and creativity to make an impact.
While MLS is a fast-paced game, Mata has played and flourished in the Premier League, arguably the most physically demanding league in the world. He has proven that he can overcome his own athletic disadvantages, which bodes well for the latter stages of his career.
And amidst it all, you can trust him.
“When you have players like Sergio, David , Nemanja and Juan in this group, they are boys with perspective,” Solskjaer said earlier this season. “They have great experience, seen good times and bad times, and they’re helping the young lads through this season. They’ve been top.”
Mata is also a part of a leadership group at United which is designed to bridge the gap between the coaches and manager and what is a very young and inexperienced squad. He is no longer a regular player on the pitch, but off it, there are few more influential.
Mata, then, is the perfect target for MLS clubs to chase after. He is hard-working, industrious, experienced, likeable, has excellent communication and leadership, but also provides the type of game that can flourish late into his career. An MLS move, then, might be the best for everyone.